Dictionary Use
You can use a dictionary for many things. A dictionary can tell you what words mean. It
can tell you how to pronounce, or say, words. It also tells which country words come
from.
Pronunciation
Dictionaries have pronunciation keys to help you pronounce words. Here is a
pronunciation key:
\ə\ as a in amend
\a\ as a in lantern
\ā\ as a in bravery
\ä\ as o in posture
\aů\ as ou in couch
\ch\ as ch in hachet
\e\ as e in blemish
\ē\ as ea in teacher
\g\ as g in slogan
\i\ as i in tariff
\ī\ as i in triumphant
\j\ as j in injury
\[ng]\ as ng in exceedingly
\ō\ as o in donate
\ô\ as aw in dawdle
\oi\ as oi in toilet
\th\ as th in math
\th\ as th in thus
\ü\ as oo in loot
\ů\ as oo in falsehood
\y\ as y in yacht
\zh\ as s in leisure
Which word has the same vowel pronunciation as shrub?
A. prune \'prün\
B. boost \'büst\
C. crusade \krů-'sād\
D. frugal \'frů-gəl\
The key shows that \ə\ makes the same vowel sound in amend and frugal. This sound
is also present in shrub \'shrəb\.
Word Origins
An origin of a word is the language the word comes from. Some words come from
French. Some come from Spanish. Others are original English words.
brouhaha \brü-,hä-hä\ [French] n. hubbub, uproar
The word brouhaha originated from French. The origin is usually in brackets before the
definition.
Guide Words
Dictionaries have guide words to help you find the word you need. Guide words are at
the top corner of the page and show which words are first and last on the page. Words
that come between these words in alphabetical order are on this page. A dictionary
page that included the guide words newsman and night would also include
nickelodeon, niece, and nifty.
Definitions
A definition is the meaning of a word. Some words have more than one meaning.
Dictionaries number the definitions when there is more than one.
balk \'bôk\ n. [Middle English] 1: a ridge of land left unplowed as a dividing line or
through carelessness 2: beam, rafter 3: hindrance, check 4 a: the space behind the
balkline on a pool table b: any of the outside divisions made by the balklines 5: failure of
a player to complete a motion; especially an illegal motion of the pitcher in baseball
while in position
Which sentence best fits definition 3 of balk?
A. Raccoons live in the balk between the two farms.
B. Shelia's armpit odor proved to be a balk on her date.
C. Jason hit the cue ball from the balk of the pool table.
D. The pitcher committed a balk during the game.
Definition 3 means "hindrance, check," so B makes the most sense.
Parts of Speech
A dictionary gives the part of speech of each entry. The part of speech tells how the
word is used in a sentence. Below are abbreviations for parts of speech:
v. = verb
n. = noun
adj. = adjective
adv. = adverb
Look at the dictionary entry below.
fuddy-duddy \'fə-dē,də-dē\ [origin unknown] n. : one that is old-fashioned,
unimaginative, or conservative
The part of speech is abbreviated by n. This means "noun."
Thesaurus
A thesaurus is a reference book similar to a dictionary. Instead of having definitions like
a dictionary, a thesaurus has synonyms. Synonyms are words that have the same or
almost the same meaning as another word.
You can use a thesaurus to revise your writing. If you are writing a story and keep using
the word "big," you can look in a thesaurus for other words that mean the same thing as
"big" and use those instead. By using a variety of words, your writing becomes more
colorful and more exciting.
Often, thesaurus entries provide contrasting words and antonyms (words having the
opposite or nearly the opposite meaning). The antonyms will be labeled in some way to
tell them apart from the synonyms.
Word Concepts
Word concepts are very short definitions, usually one word long. Concepts give general
ideas of words. For example, the concept for the word dog is "animal." The concept in a
thesaurus entry is in parentheses and capital letters. Look at the thesaurus entry below:
elude, v. ditch, flee, circumvent, dodge, shun (AVOID)
The concept gives a short meaning that covers the general idea of the word. Avoid is a
general idea for elude.
Parts of Speech
A thesaurus gives the part of speech for each entry. The part of speech tells how the
word is used in the sentence. Below are abbreviations for parts of speech.
v. = verb
n. = noun
adj. = adjective
adv. = adverb
In the thesaurus entry below, the part of speech for blandish is a verb:
blandish, v. cajole, brown-nose, charm, wheedle, beguile (FLATTER)
Synonyms
The main purpose for using a thesaurus is to choose synonyms. Writers use a
thesaurus when they revise their work. They can replace dull words with interesting
ones. The words listed between the part of speech and the concept word are synonyms.
Study the following thesaurus entries and sample question below:
compound, n. alloy, composite, synthesis, union, amalgamation (MIXTURE)
compound, v. concoct, fuse, meld, unite (COMBINE)
compound, v. aggravate, magnify, exacerbate, complicate (WORSEN)
Which word would best replace compound in the following sentence?
To make an environmentally friendly glass cleaner, compound 2 teaspoons of vinegar
to 1 quart of warm water.
A. union
B. composite
C. meld
D. aggravate
Replace compound in the sentence with each answer choice. Meld makes the most
sense:
To make an environmentally friendly glass cleaner, meld 2 teaspoons of vinegar to 1
quart of warm water.
Antonyms
Sometimes the thesaurus will show antonyms of a word. Antonyms are words that have
an opposite meaning. The thesaurus will use ant to show that the words listed are
antonyms instead of synonyms. Here is an example:
Discombobulate, v.
baffle, confound, perplex, puzzle (CONFUSE)
ant clarify, enlighten, explain
Glossaries
While reading, you may sometimes come across a term that most people may not
know. The book might have a glossary in the back that lists this word, among others,
and the definition. A glossary is specific to the subject discussed in the book, which is
usually a textbook or a nonfiction book. Think about a time you may have needed a
glossary and how it could have helped you understand what you were reading better.
Look at the example of a glossary below.
Archery Glossary
Q
quiver
a case that holds arrows
R
release
the letting go of the string of a bow that shoots the arrow
riser
the handle of the bow
S
stabilizer
Archery Glossary
a weight used to keep the string from moving too much upon release
Test your knowledge of glossaries on the example question below.
Music Glossary
E
encore
a word used by an audience to request that a musical performance continue
ensemble
a group of three or more musical performers
F
forte
an Italian word for "loud"
fortissimo
an Italian word for "very loud"
G
Music Glossary
genre
a type of music
According to the glossary above, what would an ensemble most likely do if it hears the
word "encore"?
A. finish the song they are currently playing
B. stop playing immediately and run off stage
C. play as loud as they possibly can
D. continue to play another song
The correct answer is choice D, continue to play another song. The word "encore" is
used by audiences when they wish to hear more music from the same performer or
performers. If an ensemble hears the audience chant the word "encore," it would be
when the ensemble is finished playing. The ensemble members might give in and play
another song, or they might end their set as planned.